I designed this pergola with simplicity and economy in mind, but
not at the expense of good looks. The pergola is made from standard
dimensional lumber, so you just cut the parts and screw them
together--no special skills required. To keep the cost down, I used
pressure-treated lumber, which looked great with two coats of
semitransparent stain.

I sized the pergola for small gatherings of family and friends.

With an eye toward daytime comfort, I spaced the roof slats to
block some sun but still let in enough rays for warmth.

You can build this project in about two weekends if you have an
agreeable helper. I spent just under $1,300 on materials. The concrete
floor, which is optional, added another $500. Your floor could be
flagstones, paver bricks or even a groun level deck.

BIG, BUT NOT COMPLICATED

If you think this pergola is beyond your skill level, take a closer
look. It takes time and muscle, but it's really just a bunch of
standard lumber parts screwed together. The trickiest part of the
job--positioning the posts--is almost goof-proof with simple plywood
plates (see Photo 3). Most sheds and even fences are more complicated
than this project!

Survey the site

Be sure you have a fairly level spot in your yard. Slopes can be
subtle and a bit deceiving, so bring a level attached to a long,
straight 2x4 out to the yard as you check site locations. Our site
sloped by about 3-1/2 in., which worked out well. I made sure the slab
would be just above the grade of the yard at the higher end, which then
left the lower area as a "stepping off' the slab point. If you
have a challenging yard, you may need to level an area by first
terracing with a short retaining wall.

Prep the site

If you're building in a grassy area, you'll need to
remove the turf. You can rent a kick-style sod cutter, but if
you're over 22 years old, you'll probably agree that renting a
gas-powered sod cutter for $60 a day is well worth the cost. You can
remove the sod in less than two hours and still have a good chance of
getting out of bed the next day. If you don't have a spot that
could use fresh turf, make plans to get rid of a full pickup load of
sod.

Prep the lumber

Every stack of treated lumber contains some beautiful wood and some
ugly stuff. Take the time to pick through the pile and select good
material--your project will look much better. When you get the lumber
home, you'll be eager to start right away. But I strongly recommend
that you let the lumber dry for a few days. Stack it with spacers so air
can reach all sides of each board. Then stain it before building.
Staining this pergola after assembly would be a slow, messy job. I
applied two coats of Behr Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Wood Stain (No.
3533).

Setting the posts

You'll need to mark out a perfectly square layout for the
posts. To start, position two strings exactly perpendicular to each
other using the 3-4-5 triangle method (in this case, your measurements
will be 9,12 and 15 ft.). If you're not familiar with this trick,
search online for "345 triangle." Once you get two lines
squared, the other two will be easy. But double-check your layout with
diagonal measurements (Photo 1) before you mark the posthole locations
(Photo 2).

To keep the post groupings positioned precisely, I cut plates from
treated plywood and fastened them to the posts (Photo 3). That way, you
can position, plumb and brace each assembly of three posts as if they
were one post (Photos 4 and 5).

Bracing the assemblies takes several trips up and down the ladder.

Start by screwing some horizontal 1x3 braces onto the tops of the
posts. Make sure the post assemblies are spaced the same on the top as
they are on the bottom. With the spacing established, you can brace the
groups diagonally to the ground with stakes (Photo 5). Keep at it until
it's close to perfect.

Use a tub or wheelbarrow to mix the concrete, then toss it into the
hole (Photo G). The mix isn't critical because you don't need
to trowel a finish onto it. Just make sure you get it packed into the
holes evenly around each grouping. I used about four bags per hole, but
get a few extra bags just in case.

Fastening the headers

The next day you can install the headers (Photo 7). Overlap the
corners as shown in Figure A. I removed my braces at the top, one at a
time, as I leveled and installed each outer side header and then
finished with the front and back. Be sure to take the thickness of your
slab into consideration as you measure the distance to the bottom of the
headers. Leave at least 80 in. between the slab and the header. Taller
people may want to nudge it up a couple inches.

Once the outer headers (B and C) are in place, cut the posts flush
with the top of the headers, I used a framing square to mark them and a
circular saw to cut as deep as I could. I then used a handsaw and when
my arms felt like they were ready to fall off, I used a 10-in. blade in
my reciprocating saw. Next, cut and install the inner 2x10 headers at
the front and back and then the rafter supports (E) cut from 2x8s. Rip
the 2x8s to 6-1/2 in. at a 7-degree angle. The slightly wider 6-1/2-in.
edge should go toward the inner side of the pergola. The rafters will
rest on this support and extend to the outer side headers (C).

Building the roof

Measure the distance at the center of the pergola (Photo 8) from
front to back at the top of the headers. Cut the 2x10 ridge beam (F) to
this length and drive screws at an angle into the headers. Measure from
the top edge of the ridge to the inner edge of the side header (C) on
each side, starting at the midpoint of the ridge and the header. Cut the
rafters to fit. Ideally it should be 7 degrees, but if your ridge is
cupped slightly you may need to adjust the cut. Because my ridge was
slightly cupped, I had 6-degree cuts on one side of the ridge and
8-degree cuts on the other side. Install the rafters and fasten them
with screws (Photo 9).

The gable rafters (H) are the same as the common rafters except
they sit atop the front and rear headers, so they need to be scribed
(Photo 10) to fit. Fasten these to the ridge beam by toe-screwing at an
angle or by screwing through the opposite side of the ridge at a slight
angle into the rafter (this method give a cleaner installation and less
chance of a protruding screw). Finally, screw through the side headers
into the rafter ends, making sure your spacing is even.

I cut 2-l/2-in.-wide roof slats from 1x6 material because it was
better quality than the 1x3s available at the lumberyard. Start
installing the slats parallel to the ridge and work your way down each
side. Overhang the front and back of each course about 5 in., then you
can string a line and trim them once they're all installed. Use a
2-1/2-in. spacer as you screw each row to the rafters (Photo 11). Check
your progress every fifth course to make sure you're staying
perpendicular to the rafters and that you'll finish with a
full-width slat at the end.

Once all the roof slats are fastened and trimmed, cut the ridge
covers (K) and nail them over the exposed end grain at each end of the
ridge beam. I mitered the ridge cover tops to fit tightly under the roof
slats.

Finishing up

If you stained the lumber before assembly, all you have to do now
is coat any unstained ends of parts. Be sure to stain the top ends of
each post to reduce water absorption and cracking. For extra insurance,
I coated the post tops with stain followed by exterior paint. If you
plan to pour a concrete floor as we did, go to familyhandyman.com and
search for "concrete" to find several articles about working
with concrete.

ADD PLANTS AND PRIVACY

For privacy and greenery, I built a trellis on one side of the
pergola. If you want the feel of an outdoor room, you could add
trellises on two or three sides.

My trellis is simply 1x4s and a 2x4 joined with 1-5/8-in. screws. I
built it on the pergola floor, then stood it up and screwed it to the
posts. I sized the planter boxes to hold 6-in. plastic pots and made
them 25 in. long, but you can make them whatever length will work.

by David Radtke editors@thefamilyhandyman.cbm

WHAT IT TAKES

TIME: Two weekends; the floor will be another weekend or two

COST: $1,300

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate

TOOLS: Circular saw, drill, level, standard hand tools

MEET THE BUILDER

David Radtke is a designer, illustrator, remodeler and cabinetmaker
in Minneapolis.